The Moral of the Storm

The last time Pottersboro experienced a snow fall of this magnitude was sixty years ago. Many residents weren’t alive to experience it and those who were shudder at the memory. In many places in the country snow is a common occurrence during the winter season, but not for Pottersboro. Each year a light dusting will fall once or twice, but other than that fall lingers until spring, while winter is seemingly passed over. Since snow is uncommon, and certainly not six feet in a span of twenty four hours, the city is not prepared. Cars are in the ditch, businesses are closed down, and for a moment in time, the bustling city stands still.

“I cannot believe this weather! Now I have to cancel my hair appointment, and what are we going to do with Genevieve now that school is cancelled?” Elise shouts at her partner Janet.

“I can table my computer work for the day, and maybe if the weather improves we could take her outside and build a snowman. None of us have done that before.” Janet offers.

“It’s freezing outside, the wind chill must be below zero. I don’t think we have clothes that are appropriate for being outside today….” Elise retorts.

“I can wear lots of layers!!!” Genevieve gleefully exclaims.

“It’s too cold, Genevieve. I have to go cancel my appointment.” Elise grumbles as she presses hard on the screen of her iPhone.

On the other side of town an old man fights against the wind and snow, with one arm hovering over his face, giving him just enough clarity to stay close to the side of the road, because the sidewalk is buried in snow. He’s urgent in his search for an open building, hopefully one that will allow him to sit for a while. One place that consistently provides him refuge is the public library. Would it be open on a day like today? He’s twelve blocks from the library, he thinks. As the wind picks up, it reminds him that he really can’t be sure where he is.

Storms like this can devastate an area that is not prepared, Rose thinks to herself as she recalls the storm the city endured sixty years ago. The news has been issuing warnings all morning to stay inside, and if you must leave your home be prepared with extra clothing, a shovel, and other essentials. As her crooked fingers trace the rim of her coffee cup, the warmth brings her comfort, chased by a sudden wave of guilt when she considers all of the people experiencing homelessness, and those who are unable to stay home from their jobs, or other duties. She is safe, she is warm, she is full, but what about everyone else? Rose calls her grandson who works for the local fire department and asks if there is anything she can do to ensure everyone survives the storm.

“Grandma, you’re so kind. Unfortunately, there isn’t much any of us can do. We just have to wait it out. Stay inside and call me if you need anything.” He advised.

With that, Rose continues watching the news, clutching a photo of her husband who died many years ago. She hasn’t stopped missing Herald, and the passing of time doesn’t make the hurt any less evident. Using his photo as a worry stone, she rubs it over and over, replaying in her mind all of the times that Herald did what others wouldn’t do. She knew that if he were here now, despite being too old to shovel their steps or drive a car, he would do something heroic during this storm.

“If the power goes out, that’s it. I’m moving to Florida when this storm is over,” Elise groaned.

“If the power goes out we can light candles and play a game Momma!” Genevieve suggested.

“I guess there wouldn’t be much else to do…” Elise replied. “Is your phone working? Mine won’t load anything!”

“Hmm. No, mine is acting the same. It probably has something to do with the storm. Maybe emergency lines are slowing down the network.” Janet explained.

“This is so annoying. Why do we even live here? I want to live somewhere warm!” Elise complained.

“It’s not like this happens all the time. It’ll pass and you’ll forget it ever happened,” Contested Janet, “and you may consider being grateful that you have a warm house to be in. It’s dangerous outside.”

“Okay, now you’re more annoying than this storm.” Snarled Elise.

         Despite all of his efforts, the man had still not made it to the library. He felt his muscles becoming stiff, and icicles hung from his nose. His beard was heavy and tangled with snow and ice, and he could no longer feel his fingers and toes. He hadn’t eaten anything since, well, he couldn’t remember. Was it yesterday? When did he get the pea soup at the shelter? Yesterday, yes, because he met a really nice volunteer there named Jesse and they spent almost an hour sharing details about their lives. Jesse had recently graduated from the fire academy and was eager to tell the old man about his new job. The old man was proud of Jesse, as he too had worked his entire life in public service as a substance abuse counselor. They talked about how rewarding it is to have a job that helps people, so Jesse couldn’t help but wonder why the man left his job. When his wife became sick with cancer three years ago, and needed around the clock care, he left his job because no one knew how long his wife would live. When she died six months later, he found his job had been reformatted and he was not able to return, so he began looking for work. Unfortunately, the old man was now an old man without a job, and finding a job at his age is difficult. Without family or friends to lean on, he found himself in a crisis which led to him losing his home.

“This storm is being called ‘The Big Freeze.’ It is not safe for anyone to be outside. Snowfall is predicted to continue throughout the night, wind speeds will increase, and the wind chill is currently -15, and may continue to drop. This is a warning to everyone, get inside and stay inside.” The news sent shivers down Rose’s spine. Clutching her worry photo to her chest she peered out of her front window, and in between gusts of wind a figure appeared in the street.

“It can’t be.” She gasped.

Rose opened her front door, and to her amazement a man was shuffling down the road.

“Sir!” She yelled as loud as she could. The man turned to see her waving her cane for him to come in.

“What are you doing out there? Haven’t you heard the warnings? It’s not safe to be outside!” Rose bellowed out the door.

The man ached as his body began to thaw. A warm cup of tea and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was more generous than he could have imagined.

“I was trying to find the library.” He admitted.

“Oh, dear, you were heading in the wrong direction. What a stroke of good fortune that I looked out the window when I did. What’s your name?” Rose asked.

“My name is Reginald. Thank you for all of this.”

“Well, Reginald, you would have frozen to death, and I’m happy you didn’t. Would you like more tea?” She asked with the tea pot already in position to pour.

“Sure, thank you.” Reginald slowly scanned the room, looking at each photo on the wall until his eyes met a familiar face.

“Now, who is that?” Reginald asked while pointing to a photo of a young man on the wall.

“Oh, that’s my grandson Jesse. He’s a firefighter. He’s such a good boy.” Rose replied.

“Maybe more than you know.” He thought aloud.

“Excuse me?” She asked.

“He looks like a nice boy.” He asserted.

“You know, you shouldn’t be outside in this type of weather. Do you have a place to stay?” She asked concernedly. “You’re welcome to stay here. It’s not much, but it’s better than freezing outside.”

“Your home is warmer than many. I appreciate the offer, Rose. Thank you.”